COOPERSTOWN, N.D. – A 3-year-old boy is safe after spending almost seven hours in the cold and rain.

When rescuers finally found him, they discovered he was under the protection of the family dog.

Courtney Urness said, “I come out at 7:30 cause I am like, ‘Gosh, the kids gotta get hungry’ and he wasn’t here.”

She said, “Brock was like, ‘Well,is Cooper here?’ And I said, ‘No, he’s not here either.”

ATVs, horses and other rescuers came to look for Carson and Cooper, the family dog.

Sheriff Robert Hook, Griggs County Sheriff’s Department, said, “The neighbors, business owners and bankers, they just came out and thought they needed to help out.”

Search crews combed through 2,000 acres of land but still couldn’t find Carson or the dog.

Sheriff Hook said, “As the night went on, there got to be a little more moisture in the air. And at about two in the morning, the rain was coming down and we were at the point to send the foot walkers home and there’s nothing more for them to do.”

Right as they were about to give up, they came across something remarkable.

Urness said, “Pat went over the hill and shot his headlights and Cooper barely stood up, just enough to let him know he was there and then he called for Carson.”

Sheriff Hook said, “The child was laying underneath the dog, he thought he was probably sleeping.”

A mile from home, Cooper refused to leave Carson, keeping the boy dry and warm under his coat.

Urness said, “Then he came back and Cooper followed the four-wheeler all the way back.”

Sheriff Hook said, “The dog and him are buddies and they got themselves in a little bit of trouble last night.”

Urness said, “He saved him. If they would have called it off and couldn’t find him last night, Cooper would have at least kept him warm.”

The doctor told Carson’s family he just had cold feet, thanks to his buddy who kept him warm.